Sort Of, Kind Of, Almost
by Stamp On My Heart
Summary: She had just been searching for a place to call home. Too bad a couple obstacles were in her way. "I am so sick of this frickin' school!" I exploded. "Now you see the light," Castiel said.
1. Chapter 1

**…**

**…**

Slowly, ever so slowly, my eyebrow rose.

It was silent as my mom peered at me with her bright green eyes, "Well?"

"…You're kidding, right?"

Of course, she rolled her eyes, placing her perfectly manicured hands on the table, "Of course I'm not kidding, Sage. This is serious."

"Serious? This is a game, mom. You're practically sending me away." I glared at her as she sighed. "Another school? I mean, _seriously_?" There was no chance. She wanted to send me away from my school just so I could start anew in some shipwreck. A part of me couldn't even believe she was trying to even act like a mother to me. She was never home, working and all that, and now she thought sending me to a new, "better" school was going to help.

Get a grip.

"Vera," she spoke, her voice low and stern, "are you going against my word? This is my house. I'm your _mother_."

"You know, I'm starting to believe a stork really did drop me off at your doorstep." I stared stubbornly down at the registration form in front of me. Sweet Amoris High School? Who even names their school that? Crazy people, that's who.

_Ring. Ring. _

My mom jerked, and then reached into her pocket, glancing at the cell phone.

I rolled my eyes, rising from my seat. As she answered her business call, I left the papers there and headed towards my room. As soon as I was upstairs, I pried open my door and closed it quietly behind me. No reason to take my anger out on my favorite place in the house. I passed by the larger mirror over my dresser and stared at the person there.

I had my father's eyes. A honey brown, like amber Too large and gleaming with unshed, furious tears. I was pale, never could tan correctly, and I figured I got that from my father also. My features though, were all my mother. The delicate face—small nose, large eyes, shell-pink mouth, and the cheeks that always seemed to light up whenever I felt _any_ emotion. The hair was my hers too, a mousy brown, that was naturally straight.

Carefully, I picked up the picture on top of my dresser and stared at my father. He had always loved fishing, loved to take me with him. He beamed at the camera, holding up a large trout he had caught when I was much, much younger. When I stared at that picture, I could see him clearly, hear him clearly, and listen to him say,

_"Hey, V, did'cha catch anything yet?" _

_"Not yet, Daddy!" _

Closing my eyes, I placed the picture back where it belonged. The lights were already off, so I chose that moment to land face-first in the comfort of my bed, pink and green blankets that my Aunt had picked out for me when I was just seven. I still refused to grow up.

"Dad…" I whispered, clutching my pillow to my chest, "Tell me what to do."

There was no reply, of course.

**…**

**…**

Okay.

I can do this, _right_?

With a sigh, I entered the school door. Obviously, I was late. The hallways were empty as far as I could tell. I glanced from the lockers to the classroom doors that were shut tight, and the discarded papers on the floor here and there. My brow furrowed, and when I turned, prepared to search for someone, there was suddenly an elderly woman in front of me.

"WAH!" I cried, my heart skipping a beat. _What the…?_

She smiled pleasantly at me, not at all deterred by my outburst, "Hello. You must be the new student. Vera Kelly, right?"

I blinked several times, attempting to calm down my thudding heart. "Um, yes, ma'am. But would you mind—"

"Excellent!" She sang, cutting me off. Shuffling through the papers in her tiny, wrinkled hands, she handed me a slip, "Here is the map of the school. Your records and transcript should be within your files, but I suppose you can ask Nathaniel about that. He's in the Student Council room. Just follow the map and you should find him in no time."

_Okaay…_Sighing, I glanced down at the map. It appeared simple enough, "And my schedule…?"

"Should be with Nathaniel." She replied.

"My ID—"

"Please speak about that with Nathaniel." She said, all the while, a smile on her face. I felt a chill run up my spine. She was creepy, I decided. When her smile widened, dark blue eyes twinkling almost ominously, I fidgeted, "Do you understand?" She asked, "I suggest you go see Nathaniel, Ms. Kelly."

"I-It's Vera—"

Instantly, her entire expression changed from ideal, gentle-natured—frightening—old woman, to a Tornado of Doom, "NATHANIEL!"

"Yes, ma'am!" I practically squealed, hurrying down the hall. When I was ways away, I took in a deep breath. So my day was starting off pretty rough, not at all good. When I glanced down at the map, wary, I was surprised to realize I had stopped right in front of the Student Council room. Hesitating, I vaguely wondered if I should knock, but when the door opened by itself, I jumped back.

A large stack of white papers were in the arms of a brunette female. I couldn't see her face, thanks to the stack she held in her slim arms, which was way too big for normal. She stumbled past me, carefully accessing her steps. Just then, a tall blonde male was in front of me, calling behind the girl,

"Make sure you give every slip to the Principle, Melody. I put them in order." His voice was deep and smooth, and he practically leaked a clean, pristine—_Good Guy_—aura. When his bright eyes landed on me, he tilted his head to the side, "Can I help you?"

I realized I must've looked stupid in front of him—pink cheeks, flustered, and clutching the map like a lifeline. "I'm looking for Nathaniel." I answered simply, refusing to let this new start, new school get to me.

He smiled politely, "That's me. What can I do for you?"

He seemed friendly enough, but so was the Principle before she suddenly snapped. "I'm—"

He suddenly snapped his fingers, "Vera Kelly, right? Ah, you're the new student." He looked down at his clipboard, shuffling through the papers there. "You're right on time."

I blinked, but attempted a smile, "Yeah. That's me."

"Alright then," his smile grew as he took a few papers from his clipboard, "You're transcripts have already been faxed over, so I stored them in your files. You'll have to wait for your schedule since it was such short notice, though." He seemed apologetic for that fact.

"It's fine," I insisted, finally comfortable. This guy wasn't so bad. Thank God. "I'm pretty late, aren't I?"

"No, as I said, you're right on time," He said, another smile on his face, "For now, why don't you take a look around school?"

Honestly, I was kind of dreading that. If the Principle was like that, who knew what her students were like?

"Are you alright? You look upset." He said, arching a brow, "I can assign a student to accompany if you like."

"No," His expression fell at the bluntness in my voice, "Thanks." I quickly said, "I think I can handle it. I have the map, anyway."

He chuckled lightly, "Yes. I can see that. Be careful!" He waved as I left the room. He was nice, but enough to make me think he was a little _too_ nice. As I walked down the hallway, I didn't even attempt trying to read the map. It wasn't long until I saw a couple of students that glanced at me more than once, surprised. Great, I was going to be established as the "New Girl".

When I took a bunch of twists and turns down the hall, I realized I had become lost and students were beginning to vanish into their classroom. For a second, I thought about backtracking my steps, but unfortunately, as soon as I turned around, there was someone blocking my way.

A tall, voluptuous blonde was in front of me, long golden hair swept back in perfect ringlets. Her aqua blue eyes looked down at me, one hand on her hip as she pushed back her platinum locks. When I took a closer look, I saw there was a beauty mark under her left eye, and her breasts were pushed up. I nearly rolled my eyes—I knew these types.

Two girls were behind her. One with fluid black hair and chocolate brown eyes, maybe Chinese. She was putting so much lipstick on, I thought she was going to eat it. The other girl seemed quieter, piercings in each perfect eyebrow, deep makeup, and her caramel-brown hair was tied up in a messy ponytail. They were all dressed impeccably, stylish and not very subtle with it.

"Well, if it isn't the _'New_ _Girl'_ I've been hearing all about." The blonde girl said, nasally voice and all. I could instantly feel the irritation build into me.

_New school. New start, Vera. Suck it up. _

"Nice to meet you, too." Now, that sounded a little too sarcastic. A little too flat and deadpanned.

She smiled at me, venom leaking onto her voice, "Isn't that sweet, girls? She already knows her place."

And then they bumped right by me, the brunette throwing me a particular nasty look. I didn't bother going after them to say anything, it would useless with those kinds of girls. I had better luck beating up a three-hundred pound man. I continued on my way, quiet, hoping I could find my way back to the main hallway, only to bump into a small, green figure.

"Oh! Sorry, I wasn't watching where I was…"

The bowl-cut head tilted its head to the side, "Vera?"

_Oh. My. God. _

"K-Ken?!" I exclaimed, hopping a quick, few steps away from him.

He beamed brightly at me, gums and all. I resisted the urge to run away and never look back. Ah, yes, my alleged stalker, Kentin, was standing in front of me. Suddenly, he stepped closer to me, his big green eyes behind his glasses reminding me of a puppy's.

"Vera~!" His grin got impossibly wider. I tried not to shrink away. "I was looking for you!"

When I finally got myself under control, I frowned deeply at him, "Ken, what're you doing here?"

"Huh?" He cocked his head to the side, as though he were confused.

I resisted the urge to shake him until his bones rattled, "It's the middle of the school year," I explained slowly, and he nodded his head, "So why are you here when you should be in school?"

"I transferred!" He proclaimed loudly, his squeaky voice echoing over the hallways. I was thankful they were empty.

Glaring at him, I said, "What do you mean?"

"You left," he replied, as though it we were discussing the weather, "And I didn't want us to be apart so I followed you here. It wasn't a problem at all! My dad completely agreed. I was kind of surprised, but I told him it was out of love, so I guess he thinks I'm becoming more of a man!"

"Ken," I grounded out slowly, trying to reign in my anger, "Go back to school. I don't need you here."

His blissful expression changed. Suddenly, waterfalls of blue tears were falling down his freckled cheeks, "Y-You don't?"

My frown returned, a bit of concern weaseling into my chest. Oh, _geez_. I could never be mad at him, "K-Ken…listen—"

"I-I-I was trying to keep you safe, Vera. I knew there might be dangers here, so I came to protect you~!" He wailed, appearing crestfallen.

Biting my bottom lip, I pushed back the harsh comment. I was going to say something I regretted, I knew. Quickly, I took a step towards him, "That's really sweet of you, Ken."

Ken perked up instantly, tears gone and a bright smile back on, "R-Really?"

"Yeah!" I attempted a smile right back, "Thanks. Really a lot. I appreciate you doing this. Actually, I could really use a friend here, I guess."

He grinned again, all sparkles and sunshine up his ass, "I knew it! Don't worry. I'm here for you until the end."

_Oh, goody. _

**…**

**…**

Somehow, I managed to get to the main hallway again, thanks to Ken. He had already received his schedule, and was stuck in class. He seemed reluctant to leave me, but I practically shoved him in the classroom. I needed a few moments to breathe. As I passed the History class, wishing to hurry to the Student Council room, I bumped into someone.

Fortunately, I caught myself. The other person wasn't so lucky.

"Oh, sorry! Are you okay?" I asked worriedly, stooping down to help the sprawled out student off the floor. I caught a flash of orange hair falling over her shoulder as I helped her stand.

With bright green eyes and a friendly grin, she replied, "It's fine." She dusted off her furry shorts and righted her loose, long-sleeved top. "I'm naturally clumsy, anyway."

"No, no," I shook my head, "It was my fault. I haven't been really paying attention since I got here."

"Eh?" She stared at me a bit closer, and then smiled again, "You must be the new student. Val?"

"Close," I almost smiled, "Vera."

She blushed a bit, but grinned again, nonetheless. "I'm Iris. You must be the girl Ken was gushing about in second period." I flushed, and she laughed, "Ken's really funny. He has a huge crush on you, I can tell."

"Yeah…well…" I shifted on my feet, hoping for this conversation to be over as soon as possible. "I should really get going—"

"Hey," I turned back to her, and she was grinning brightly again, "If you have any problems, feel free to come to me. Even if it's just showing you around. You and Ken seem like really nice people."

I opened my mouth to reply, grateful for the help, but was cut off once again.

"Oh! There you are, Vera." Nathaniel was just behind me, clipboard in hand, and a smile on his face, "I've been looking for you everywhere." Pulling out a few papers, he handed them to me, "Here is your schedule, information about the teachers and grades, and anything else you'll need."

"Thanks," I said, giving him a smile as I took the papers, grateful. "Like, really, thanks, Nathaniel. I know it had to be a lot of work with two new students and with all that paperwork."

He blushed, averting his gaze awkwardly. Iris tilted her head to the side, befuddled as Nathaniel stuttered out, "I-It was nothing."

"Thanks anyway." I insisted. He nodded vigorously, still red in the face. As I passed by him and Iris, I went through my schedule. I was in mostly Honor classes, which I found oddly annoying. Just extra work for me to do and impressing teachers. Before I knew it, I was walking past the main hallway, and through the back doors that led to the courtyard. It was pretty spacious, with a couple of benches, trees, and from where I was standing, I could see the small greenhouse and garden ways away.

As I took a step further into the courtyard, continuing to shuffle through the papers, glancing over it to make sure everything was correct, I bumped right into something hard.

"Ow," I mumbled to myself, pressing a small hand to my forehead. It felt like a wall. Well, a breathing wall. That smelt like wood, musk, man, and a light hint of cigarettes. Carefully, I looked up, and was fully surprised to see red.

"Watch where you're going!"

And lips. Firm, nice-looking lips.

"Hey, you listening?"

And eyes. Serious, stormy eyes.

I blinked. And blinked again. One more time.

And then said, "…Hi?"

He scowled, arms folded over his chest. "The hell? You nearly run me over and all you can say is 'Hi'?" he demanded, his voice deep and rough and angry.

I arched a brow. Forget his looks. Let's think about the tone he was using. "Run you over? If you haven't noticed, I'm 5'2, and you're _way_ over average. I think it was _you_ who was going to run over _me_."

"Oh, look, you actually have brain cells, Pintsize," He said snidely.

_Pintsize_? I felt something inside of me rise. It amazed me I could get angry that fast, "Are you always this nice?" I bit out, glaring up at him. I was sure I was as red as a tomato.

He shrugged, some kind of sadistic amusement in his eyes, "Especially with new students." And then he smirked. A smirk that made him look as much as a cocky-jerk that I was sure he was. A smirk that made me soften a bit. "I'm Castiel."

For a moment, I wondered if I should just tell him to "screw off" and say "I don't care what your name is" but I knew that was just the weaker part of my brain stressing from the hectic day. "Vera."

"I like Shrimp better," he said instead, shrugging again.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, "Wow. Is everyone here so welcoming?" The sarcasm in my voice was like liquid acid.

Castiel's smirk widened, "Ah. So you've met the housewarming team."

"If you're talking about the Mad-Hatter Principle and the I'm-Nowhere-To-Be-Found-When-You-Need-Me Nathaniel, then yes."

"He's still the Principle's lapdog, huh? Didn't know she needed two." He snorted, looking amused by whatever just popped into his head.

Just then, the bell rang, cutting our drawn out insulted conversation short. I looked back towards the school where the students were beginning to go to their lockers and prepare for their next class. Stifling a groan, I said, "My first day and I missed second period too."

"You're doing better than me," Castiel retorted, his expression neutral, "I don't even bother showing up half the time."

"Well, unlike you, I would rather not be on the Mad-Hatter's bad side." I shifted backwards on my feet, my mind telling me it was time to drop the conversation, but my body wishing to have just one more word from him.

He rolled his eyes, "Whatever. Have fun with the idiot president, little girl." He turned away without so much of a backward glance.

I felt my face heat up for the hundredth time that day, "It's _Vera_!"

Yeah. I had a feeling I wasn't going to like this school.

**…**

**…**

**Finally finished the chapter. Hehe~ I hope you liked it. I've created like thirteen accounts on My Candy Love, and each time, I always end up aiming for Castiel. Luckily, Lysander much more nicer, and easier to win, even though it's nice to see Castiel jealous whenever I latch onto another guy. And I edited this chapter. I don't really like my character being the pretty blonde, instead kind of like me! Thanks to Star Slightly To The Right looking this over. **

**WHY CAN'T HE UNDERSTAND MY FEELS~!**

**Ehem, sorry. Too much tumblr. **

**Please review. It would mean the world to me! Sorry if there's different names, I kind of changed A LOT!**

**-Abby**


	2. Chapter 2

**…**

**…**

"Vera! Wake up right this instant!"

Startled, I had about enough time to either kick my mother in the nose or gasp before I hit the floor. Unfortunately, my mother's reflexes outshined mine as she grabbed onto the blankets and tossed me right out of the comfy heaven. One of my pillows caught my fall, but my head was still ringing from the noise, movement, and sunlight.

"Time for school, young lady," She huffed at me, button nose all wrinkled. When her watch suddenly beeped, she glanced down and then glared at me, "Great. Now I'm late." She turned straight out the room, "Breakfast is downstairs. I'll be home by nine."

Groaning, I remained on the floor until I heard the front door open and close. Her car revved a second later and then she was gone. I sat up, eyes blearily taking in my surroundings. My bare legs were cold and my toes felt like they were frozen. She must've forgotten to turn on the heat last night. It took me a moment to climb to my feet and the sun's light hit my face with everything it had, blinding me. I almost stumbled into my dresser, but managed to gain my footing before I could knock over my photos. Blowing a quick kiss to my dad's picture, I headed towards the bathroom.

My reflection wasn't anything pretty—messy hair, heavy eyelids, and my face felt greasy. Grabbing my toothbrush, I scrubbed my teeth as hard as I could, splashed my face, and brushed my hair. It didn't take long—my fifteen morning routine. When I looked back in the mirror, my hair was fixed, my teeth were cleaned, and my cheeks were flushed. Satisfied, I dressed and walked downstairs, where I found my so-called "breakfast".

Toast.

_And I think she let it sit too long in the toaster…_

But, shrugging, I took a hearty bite, savoring the burnt aftertaste and letting it warm my palms. When I left, I knew I was a little early. I passed by a clothing store I'd never seen, but then again, I'd never been on that side of town. I hesitated as I passed by it, a dark violet dress that caught my eye causing me to frown. As I was about to push open the door, reading the "OPEN" sign, someone beat me to it.

A delicate—manicured—sun-kissed hand grazed against mine, also reaching for the door. With a start, I turned to the person, only to be in awe. The snow-white hair reached her tiny waist and swished over her suggestive, wide hips was enough to catch my attention. She was dressed to impress today—a short dress with a tie, vest, and frills, and her long, thigh-high boots were poised perfectly on her mile-long legs. With a flip of her glossy hair, she looked over at me with stunning yellow eyes, pretty face, and long eyelashes.

I blinked. Finally, the words came to me in a rush, "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"

"You go to Sweet Amoris, don't you?" She asked with a curious look.

I nodded meekly, puzzled.

And then she grinned, bright and wide, "I knew it! I never forget a face!" Suddenly, she grabbed onto my cheeks, pressing them together so that I was doing a blowfish impression. "Especially not a cute face like this! What kind of moisturizer do you use? And it smells good, whatever it is! Hmmm. You're not wearing makeup. Weird. How'd you get this blush?"

"Um…"

"Don't tell me! Maybeline! No? Cover Girl? Hm. Not that either? I have the entire collection. Lipsticks, lip glosses, eyeliners, lip liners, eyeshadows, even the little—"

"I don't use anything!" I finally proclaimed, wrestling my face from her grip. She blinked, surprised. Rubbing one of my cheeks, I said, "I don't use makeup. It feels weird."

Again, she blinked, "Are you serious?" I nodded and she gave me an odd look, "What're you, a freshman? No wonder your skin looks that good!" She rubbed her forehead, her lips pursing to form a pout, "Lucky~"

I took a step back, just in case she might've lunged again. She seemed normal enough, just a bit touchy-feely. Crossing my arms over my chest, I inquired, "How'd you know I went to Sweet Amoris?"

She grinned big, "I'm not a stalker or anything. I go to the same school. I'm Rosalya Gold." She gripped my hand in hers, shaking them so fast they blurred. "And you are?"

"…Vera." I said, eyeing her now.

She took my hand with her nimble fingers and her smile grew. Releasing my hand, a frown touched her perfectly glossed lips, "Where are you going? School doesn't start for another fifteen minutes."

"I live a few blocks away," I said, "And—"

"Oooooh," She nodded vigorously, "Don't worry. I know a shortcut. But, for now," She grabbed onto my wrist with another smile, "As a new addition of Sweet Amoris, I have to show you around. First, let's start here." Before I could protest, she pulled me into the clothing store.

The store wasn't anything like I predicted. It had lush, purple, checkered linoleum floors. There was a large mirror and changing rooms. The runway going through the middle of the store was like the cherry on top—all pristine and white and _walkable_. It made me feel small, like I walked into Vogue Weekly. The clothes were lined up neatly, some with glitter, some with stripes, some small skirts, and others dresses. And the manikins were doing odd poses, arms out and legs spread. However, I didn't have enough time to fully take in the store before Rosalya was tugging my wrist again, straight towards the front counter.

And then she paused. I nearly rammed into her back. Curiously, I looked over her shoulder, only to see two men conversing. One was taller than the other, dressed as though he were Prince Charming himself—impeccable jet-black hair, lean stature, and face fit for the next in line for England. The other was only about three inches shorter and also had black hair. He was handsome in a sort of mysterious kind of way, muscle-built and dressed nice. Suddenly, his eyes flashed to Rosalya and me. The girl in front of me tensed strangely and before I knew it, the man was walking towards us. Rosalya moved aside without a word, but I was not so lucky. His shoulder bumped into me, and with me being so much shorter and petite, it nearly knocked me off my feet. Luckily, Rosalya kept a tight grip on my wrist.

With a nonchalant shrug of his shoulder that hit me and an odd glint in his eye, he muttered, "Excuse me." And continued on with his way, leaving the shop with a _ding_ and vanishing from my view.

Silence. The air seemed tense for some odd reason.

Before I could even ponder what was going on, Rosalya released me and rushed over to the Prince Charming Guy. I watched as she kissed his cheek and he smiled just a bit, "Is everything alright? What was he doing here?"

He averted his dark eyes, "Viktor was just asking a few questions. We made an arrangement."

Rosalya's eyes sharpened, "What kind of arrangement?"

"Darling," And then he paused, eyes landing on me. "Oh, hello."

With an awkward wave, I replied, "Good morning."

"Oh!" Rosalya seemed to have dropped the subject, returning her attention on me, "I just ran into her outside of the store. She goes to school with me! Isn't that exciting?"

Not very much, but Leigh smiled again, "Yes, it is." He seemed amused.

"And she's…" She frowned, trailing off, "What grade are you in?"

"I'm a junior."

"And she's in the same grade as me, Leigh!"

"So much excitement for you two."

"I know, right!"

Leigh obviously didn't share her enthusiasm, but his smile continued to widen until I could see the pink in his cheeks. I almost looked away as they gazed at each other. It made me think of those sappy Disney movie moments, right when they kissed. Tugging a strand of hair behind my ear, I tried to look at anything else besides them.

"Oh! That's right!" She suddenly popped in front of me, and I resisted the urge to flinch away. "Oh, her name is Vera, Leigh. Keep up!" He nodded, appearing befuddled and dazed. She returned her attention on me, "That means we probably have classes together. Wait. Are you in Honors American Lit. third period?"

I nodded, "Yeah. Mr. Winchester?"

"Yes! I probably couldn't see you. You were in the second row?" I nodded again, and she giggled, "Amber's hair was in the way."

My expression soured, "You know Amber?"

Rolling her golden eyes playfully, she replied, "Who doesn't? She's, like, the Queen Bee. Or she thinks." She eyed me for a moment, "What's with the look?"

"I can already tell she doesn't like me," I gave a one-shoulder shrug, "And the feeling's mutual."

Rosalya seemed to ponder that for a moment, "I can see why. You guys are destined to clash."

I frowned, "Meaning?"

"Your clothes," I looked down at my clothes, nothing seemed wrong. My frown deepened, "And your hair." She stared at my face, "And you're pretty."

That, I flushed at. Without waiting for me to say anything, she spun her head to face her supposed boyfriend, "Isn't she, Leigh?" She looked back at me, "Oh, I just wanna take you home with me!"

Once again, her hands were on my cheeks, squeezing my face all together. Blinking, I tried to rein down my blush. This girl reminded me a lot of my Aunt, actually.

"You're going to suffocate her, Rosa," Leigh said, chin in his hands as he rested his elbows on the counter. He looked amused again, "And you're going to be late for school."

Rosalya started, "You're right!" She released me, but not before taking my hand in hers, "C'mon." She waved an exuberant hand, "See you later, Leigh," She blew him a kiss with a coy wink and he smirked back, pretending to catch it.

And then we were off. For some odd reason, I was glad to have met Rosalya. I could definitely use someone like her.

**…**

**…**

Class was boring—very, very boring. I toyed with my hair often. When it was finally lunch time, I was almost falling asleep. I had already gone over this in my last school, so there was no reason for me to learn it all over again. The bell rung, jolting me from my half-slumber, and I walked out with everyone else.

Rosalya was there, to my surprise, and she wasn't carrying anything with her, not even a notebook or a piece of paper. Vaguely, I wondered how she could look so Vogue-worthy in the middle of a crowded, stuffy hallway. When I made my way over to her, boys were already looking at her legs and staring at her bust. Rosalya saw me, waving a hand, and I gave a wave back.

"I was going to eat lunch with you today," She looked sheepish as she made her way over to me.

I arched a brow, "And that's canceled because…?"

"Leigh wanted to have lunch with me," She pursed her lips, "I think he wants to talk about something though."

She looked back at me. _Great_. Girl troubles. Were we at that stage of friendship already?

I tilted my head to the side, attempting to come up with something "Girl Talk" worthy, "Communication is always key." I said something I read from a fortune cookie.

I'm such an idiot.

But Rosalya nodded slowly, "Yeah. You're right. It's probably nothing to worry about, huh? Just the shop or something." She laughed and I gave a reassuring smile, "Thanks, Kitten. I'll see you after lunch."

I watched as she strutted off, boys following after her like dogs after a nice bone. Shaking my head, I glanced at the Student Council room, only to see Nathaniel and a girl with long brown hair exit, speaking with each other, and the girl giggled at something he said.

His eyes flickered up, and landed on me, "Oh! Hey, Vera." The brunette looked up as well, her smile dropping by a degree as Nathaniel came to greet me. With a bright smile, he said, "How's your second day?"

I shrugged, "Good so far, I guess. I met a few people."

"Oh, yeah? Like who?"

I smiled a bit, "Is this an interrogation from the Student Council president?"

He had the nerve to look abashed, blushing a bit, "N-No. Why would you say that?"

"Just kidding, Nathaniel. I met a girl named Rosalya, and Iris. I already know Ken, and he's nice." I thought for a long moment, and a flash of red went through my mind, "And Castiel." I was pretty surprised when Nathaniel's smile suddenly dropped and he scowled, "Nathaniel?"

"Did he say anything rude? I can give him detention." He offered quickly.

Frowning, I shook my head, "No. Why would he?"

"He's naturally a troublemaker, rude, and disruptive. I wouldn't be surprised if he called you something silly." Wow. He was really close there, but I shook it off. Blushing again, Nathaniel shook his head, "S-Sorry. He just really gets under my skin, I suppose."

The brunette took that chance to step in, smiling politely at me, "Hi. You must be the new student, Vera, right?"

Nodding, I smiled back at her, "Yeah. That's right."

"Oh! Right. This is Melody. She's the Valedictorian. I think you saw her yesterday. She runs errands for the principle and teachers. Just like me." Ah. Yes. The girl from yesterday carrying all those papers. I remembered now, though I never got a good look at her face. Just long legs and nice shoes.

"It's nice to meet you," Melody said good-naturedly, her smile widening, "Everyone in school has been talking about you."

I felt my cheeks warm up, "Oh. Really?"

"Uh-huh. Especially Amber. Have you met her yet?"

Nathaniel looked at me, eagerly awaiting for me to answer, "Yeah. I met her. She doesn't seem very…_welcoming_."

Nathaniel chuckled optimistically, "Yes. She doesn't like the attention to be taken off of her really. She's spoiled like that." Melody nodded along with him. Before I could question how he even knew that, I was interrupted.

"Vera! I found you!" A thin hand wrapped around my left arm, "I've been looking everywhere for you."

I could already smell the sugary cookies, "Hey, Ken."

"C'mon, c'mon!" He started to tug me towards the cafeteria, where all the students were bustling, "I brought an extra pack of cookies, if you wanna share…?" He gave me those big green eyes and I couldn't resist. I said goodbye to Nathaniel and Melody. With a small smile and nod, I followed him to the cafeteria and allowed myself to indulge in the chocolate chips.

**…**

**…**

I didn't see Rosalya for the rest of the day. I wasn't sure if I should've been worried or not. Everyone in class acted as if it were normal so I didn't question it. Plus, I had no idea how to get in contact with her or how to retrace my steps back to the clothes shop.

The final bell rang, startling me from my thoughts. I packed up my things, my book bag heavy and my English book in my arms. I had a lot of homework and nearly groaned as my last teacher assigned an essay due in three days. I would get the rest of the information tomorrow. As I was leaving the room, one of the last people, I felt a shoulder knocked into mine. I turned my head a bit, not the least bit shocked to see Charlotte throwing me a cold glare and then walking out into the hallway. She met up with Li and Amber—the blonde smirking sarcastically at me—and they left the school, probably heading to start more crap outside the school.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

I headed towards my locker, finding it rather difficult to find since they all looked the same. At last, I found 412 and twisted the lock. I was pretty sure I got the numbers right as I tugged the lock, eyebrows furrowing. When I attempted it again the third time, I huffed, shoulders slumping. I really didn't want to have to put down my bag and books for _this_.

"U-Um…Excuse me."

When I heard the timid, small voice, I glanced over my shoulder to see purple hair. It was a strange color, but I've seen a lot of strange things since I entered the school. She was carrying a large sketch pad with her, which I doubted would fit in a tiny locker. She had her head cocked to the side, an innocent expression on her face, and fidgeting nervously.

"Yeah?" I turned towards her fully, nearly dropping my books. My arms were beginning to ache.

She swallowed, "I, um, had that locker last year. I can probably help you."

"Oh, really? Thanks so much!" Grateful, I stepped away. She hesitated for a moment before giving me a smile and turning towards my locker. With a few easy flicks of her wrist, it was open and we were both staring into the dusty compact space. "Wow. You make it look so easy."

She blushed a bit, smiling, "You just have to use a bit more force," She looked at me, "I'm Violette." But she didn't stick her hand out, instead, clutched at her sketchpad.

I smiled warmly, "Vera."

"Vera…" She said my name slowly, as though to savor it. She seemed in awe. And then she murmured, "…You're as short as me."

I bristled.

At my reaction, she laughed softly, eyes sparkling, "It's really surreal, though. I've never met anyone as short as me before."

Cheeks warm, I huffed, "Everyone at this school keeps calling me short."

"You could sleep more," I glanced at her and she smiled, "It helps you grow."

Nodding, I stored that away. Another bell rung over our heads, which meant it was time for clubs. I rearranged my books in my arms, just as Iris came jogging past us, stopping only for a moment. She grinned brightly at me, "Hey, Vera!" And then to Violette, "You're gonna be late Music if you keep dawdling, Vi!"

The purple-haired girl jerked, flushing again, "Y-You're right!" She smiled at me again, "Nice meeting you." And then she was scampering off with Iris, down the hall and out of sight. With a sigh, I turned back to my locker, stuffing my Geometry book and History book in. My book bag wasn't as heavy as before, but my arms still hurt.

A shoulder bumped into me roughly, almost knocking the books out of my hands. I already knew it was, I had gotten a whiff of the strong perfume, "Watch where you're going, freak!" Amber's annoyingly high voice spat. Charlotte and Li walked along with her. I resisted the urge to chuck my books at their heads.

I walked towards the edge of the hall, just a few feet away from the Student Council room, and tried to think of the way Rosalya had showed me earlier that day to get to the clothes shop. She was probably still there with Leigh. I racked my brain, biting my lip as I tried to concentrate. I could probably wander around town until I found where I was going, but that was stupid and I would end up lost.

I groaned when I saw the time. Already three and I hadn't even started walking. I watched as the last students left the school, laughing and chatting about after-school activities and what time they were getting home. The day had dragged on for what seemed like forever—from the obnoxious knock-offs of "Mean Girls", to Ken following me around all day, and now onto the talk of me being the so-called New Girl. All in all, it was beyond tiring and I just wanted to head home, bury my face in my pillow, and scream.

I hated my life. I hated my mom. And I hated how I sounded like a typical angsty teenager.

I still had to get my student ID from Nathaniel. As I started down the hallway, students chattering around me, I thought of the redhead I had met today. His snarky attitude, bright hair, and dark clothes. I'd never met anyone like him, but then again, he was probably just a basic asshole. He'd called me _short_, after all. Just as I caught sight of the Student Council door, I ran into someone else a second time that day.

Luckily, before I could fall on the floor, large hands gripped my upper arms gently and stabled me. I meant to thank the person, any kind of way, but the words got stuck in my throat. The eyes stared down at me, one an emerald green and the other a golden yellow. I blinked rapidly, wondering if I was daydreaming again. Should I pinch myself?

He was saying something, eyebrow arched, and I caught the end of it, "…alright? Miss?"

_Miss?_ I tilted my head to the side. He stared at me, perplexed. I'm sure I looked stupid, gazing at him like that. Well, could you blame me? He was dressed odd, and his hair looked soft, and the tips looked as though they were dipped in black paint. I blinked again and his eyebrow went higher on his forehead, disappearing under his white bangs.

"Dude," I finally uttered, my voice holding a hint of awe, "Your eyes are _awesome_."

He paused, and then stared at me in clear surprise. An awkward silence issued, and it took me a moment to catch my words.

Frantically waving my hands in front of me, I said, "O-Oh! I mean, um, sorry. I mean—"

His chuckle cut me off. My eyes widened, staring up at him as he laughed at me quietly.

I pursed my lips, "W-What's so funny?"

When he finally said something, I was unprepared, "You. You should sort out your thoughts before saying them out loud."

I gaped at him, watching as he smirked gently at me. A complete opposite of the asshole I met earlier. And, jeez, did all the guys here have to be so good looking? "S-Sorry. If I offended you, I didn't mean to. I kind of have a bad brain-to-mouth ratio."

He smiled at me, "Though I appreciate the compliment, I don't believe we have met."

I shook my head, my hair falling over my right shoulder, "Oh! I'm new here." I held out my hand, "Vera."

He watched me for a few seconds, and I thought about retracting my hand, but then he took it, "Vera." I opened my mouth to reply, but a smile touched his lips, "Well, I'm Lysander."

Wow. His name was just as bizarre as his eyes and clothes. I dropped my hand to my side, keeping my other arm tight around my books, "Nice to meet you."

"And you too, Vera," Lysander nodded, "How do you like the school so far?"

I attempted a smile, "Well, I guess you can say it's _interesting_."

His answering smile outdid mine. "I understand. The characters here can be rather difficult to get accustomed to. But I assure you everyone here is very nice."

I frowned, brows furrowing, "Really?"

He looked puzzled, eyebrow arched, "Has someone proved me wrong?"

I shrugged one shoulder, "I guess." He looked even more confused. Quickly, I reassured him, "I-It's fine! No one has been mean or anything. I-It's just hard to get used, I guess."

"You guess a lot, don't you?" He seemed to think for a moment before he nodded, "Well, classes are over. It was nice meeting you, Vera."

I resisted the urge to bite my lower lip—a nervous habit, "It was nice meeting you, too."

He nodded, a polite smile on his face. I was prepared to leave—or watch him leave. And then something bumped into me from the back. I barely had enough time to gasp before Lysander gripped one of my shoulders, stopping my fall. His scent was something mixed with freshening soap and soft scented cologne. Lysander wasn't looking at me, instead the person who had nearly knocked me on my face.

"Castiel, you should be more careful." He chided, squeezing my shoulder as he helped me right my footing.

_Castiel?_ I tensed.

The redhead snorted from behind me.

"She could've gotten hurt, you know," Lysander continued, and then, without warning, spun me around so I was facing Castiel. The steely gaze met mine, and I felt my stomach tighten.

"_You_?" His arms were crossed over his chest. He didn't seem very happy to see me. "Watch where you're going."

Quickly, I snapped back, "This is the second time in a row you've nearly ran me over. Get over yourself."

"Shut up, little girl—"

"_Castiel_—" Lysander attempted to break in.

"—And stay outta my damn way."

I was sure I was about to spontaneously combust. My cheeks felt like they were red hot. But I crossed my arms over my chest, eyes narrowing, "Don't you have to be rude somewhere else?"

And then he was smirking that annoying, boyish smirk of his, "Not until later."

"I can actually believe that."

"So," Lysander's tranquil, smooth voice broke in, "I can see you've met Castiel, Vera."

I glared at said redhead, "Who could miss him with his stupid hair?"

Castiel continued to smirk cockily, "Anyone could miss her. She's short as hell."

Lysander appeared amused, "Just because you are almost six feet, doesn't mean you should pick on the less fortunate."

Indignantly, I threw a glare at Lysander, "I'm not that short! _Geez_, what is with everyone at this school?"

"Get used to it. This school is all kinds of fucked up." Castiel jeered, "Including that crazy principal."

"You shouldn't use that kind of language in this school, Castiel," quipped Nathaniel as he made himself known. He had my ID in his hand, along with a few other papers. I watched as Castiel's stormy eyes narrowed onto the blonde.

"My bad. Should've known your virginal ears wouldn't be able to take it, Mr. President. Excuse my fucking French."

I blinked in bewilderment as I watch the same expression from earlier cross over Nathaniel's face. I glanced over at Lysander, who shrugged at my look and continued to watch the two boys.

"Right. Excuse. Just like you _excused_ yourself from class today."

"And what's it to you?"

"It shouldn't be a concern to me. Wouldn't it be your parents—"

Castiel took a threatening step forward, "You _fucking_—"

"Now, now, gentlemen. Why don't we just calm down? We wouldn't want to show such conduct in front of a lady, now would we?" Lysander gestured down towards me, and I jerked when Castiel's steely gaze landed on me, intense and sharp.

Averting my gaze, I tightened my hands in balls.

And then Castiel scoffed, "I don't have time for this shit!" He stormed past me, his scent catching in my nose, and then purposely bumped his shoulder into Nathaniel's, who stumbled back a bit from the force. He glared at Castiel's back until it vanished out the school's entrance.

There was a long, tense silence before Lysander broke it, "Well, I suppose I should go after him."

"Yes," Nathaniel grumbled, eyes dark, "You should hurry before he vandalizes something."

Surprisingly, Lysander smiled, "Despite what you may think, Nathaniel, Castiel isn't a delinquent. Or, if he is, he isn't a very good one."

Nathaniel's eyebrows arched, "Really?"

"Yes, really. He doesn't spray-paint on anything. Well, doesn't anymore. And he goes home by at least twelve. Much earlier than he used to. And, from what I know, he doesn't sleep much so he can't get up very early. I'll apologize on his behalf."

"Not needed," Nathaniel said, "You cover for him all the time, Lysander."

The white-haired teenager smirked, "Isn't that what friends are for?" He glanced at me with his strange eyes, "I'll be taking my leave." And then frowned lightly, "Unless you need help with anything, Vera."

Startled, I looked up at him, "N-No. I'm fine. Thanks." I gave a smile as he nodded, bidding a polite farewell to Nathaniel and I before following Castiel out. I watched him go. _Interesting, that boy…_I thought, mulling it over. For a moment, I wonder what exactly had happened in front of me with Castiel and Nathaniel. The two had literally leaked with hostility.

"You alright?" Nathaniel called, and I was broken from my dazed thoughts. He was looking at me, concerned, "Vera?"

"I'm fine!" I chirped quickly, maybe too quickly because he stared at me for a long while before shrugging.

He pulled something from the stacks of papers, handing it over to me, "Here. You're ID. You're an official student of Sweet Amoris."

"Yay me," I said, my voice soft as I stared down at my picture. I wasn't very much smiling, and my eyes were shining. I shook my head, hooking it over my head so that the picture fell over my chest. And then looked back at Nathaniel, "Thanks. Did you give Kentin his?"

Nathaniel tilted his head to the side, "No. I haven't seen him. I was actually glad I bumped into you, I didn't want to go around searching the entire school."

"I'll give it to him," I offered and Nathaniel nodded, pulling out Ken's ID. He was grinning at the camera, eyes big and green behind his thick glasses. I tucked it in my back pocket, glancing towards the big clock on the opposite wall. It was only past three, so he should be in the school.

"I'm going to head home," Nathaniel said, eyes leaving my face. He looked nervous, "I won't be able to catch Amber in time if I don't leave now."

I snapped my head up to him when I heard the name, "Amber…?"

"Yes. I prefer to walk her before she can get into any trouble." He replied simply. When he saw my expression, he appeared perplexed, "What is it?"

I quickly shook my head, "Nothing…um, nothing." In my head, I was pretty much freaking out—_Ohmigod, he goes out with Amber!_ "I should get going. Thanks for the ID!" I practically sprinted away from him. By time I stopped, I was panting and in some random ninth grade hallway. I leaned against the wall.

_Sniffle, sniffle. _

I frowned, regaining my breath.

_Sniffle, sniffle. _

I looked at the doors behind me. Giant red letters were glowing over it: EXIT. I pushed it open without preamble. Blankly, I stared down at the weeping Ken, "What're you doing?"

The skinny boy jerked, surprised. And then he looked up at me with teary green eyes, "V-Vera?"

Gosh, he looked pathetic, broken. His freckled face was covered in tears and his nose was running. He had taken off his glasses so he wouldn't make a mess, and his eyes looked smaller than usual. Sighing, I bent down to open his book bag, pulling out the box of tissues he always carried around and his inhaler. He was breathing too fast.

"Here," I handed him the inhaler. He took it, grateful and puffed while I went to work on cleaning off his glasses and cheeks. When his breathing was stable, I placed the glasses back on his nose and watched as he slumped his shoulders. "Mind telling me what happened?"

He licked his lips nervously before mumbling something under his breath.

I leaned closer, "Sorry?"

_"Amberstolemoneyoffme!" _

I paused and then sighed heavily, "Are you serious?"

He nodded meekly.

_"Keeen!" _

"S-Sorry! They ganged up on me…and…I got scared." He looked at me, eyes shining, "It was only fifty bucks, Vera. No big deal."

Only_ fifty bucks? _I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "It doesn't matter, Ken. Tomorrow I'm getting your money back and knocking Amber off her high horse."

"Vera—"

"She just pisses me off and—"

"Vera—"

"—no one deserves to have something of theirs stolen. That's a crime, you know."

"_Vera_," he finally caught my attention. To my surprise, he was beaming at me, shining teeth and gums and all, "Thanks."

I averted my gaze, suddenly more than self-conscious. I had never gotten so protective over Ken before. But never had really picked on him before either. With his father being in the military and all. Everyone at our old school knew that. And Ken was also my friend, and there was no way I was going to let him cry in some staircase.

"It's no big deal, Ken." He continued to grin and I laughed, "Really. It's not."

"Here!" He thrust the chocolate cookies in my face. I took them, and watched as he continued to suck the air from his inhaler.

Yeah, well, I wouldn't have it any other way.

**…**

**…**

The next day, I woke up late.

I was quick to shower and scrub my teeth. Luckily, my hair didn't act like a jerk that morning and straightened with just a brush. I grabbed up my backpack hurriedly and practically flew down the stairs.

I was passing right by the clothes shop when I collided with someone. Luckily, I didn't hit the pavement, instead I got a face-full of boobs. Soft, full boobs. And the smell of berries and cream. "Oh! Good morning, Kat!"

I managed to give her a smile as I removed myself from her bosom, "Hey, Rosalya."

She beamed at me, "You're late too?"

"Yeah," I studied her a bit closer before smirking. Skipping ahead, I looked back at her, "Rosalya," She perked up at her name, "Your lipstick's smudged."

She flushed a deep pink before wiping furiously at her full, kiss-bruised lips. We scurried to school together, and she continued to curse Leigh under her breath. When we arrived to school, Rosalya skipped off with a merry goodbye and left me alone. The hallways were empty as I climbed the stairwell to my second period.

And then came down a flustered Nathaniel. His cheeks were pink and he was sweeping his yellow eyes all over the walls. I frowned, watching as he walked right past me, many papers tucked under his arm.

"Hey, Nathaniel?" I called after him, "Are you alright?"

He whirled around to face me so fast I thought he would get whiplash. And then he hopped back like I was on fire, "V-Vera!"

My brow raised as I eyed him, "Yes. It's me. Something wrong?"

He jerked his arm behind his back, the one holding the papers, "N-No! Of course not!"

Slowly, I looked down at the paper that fell by my feet. I swiped it up before he could protest. You couldn't believe how shocked I was when I saw my ID picture with horns and a big mustache.

"Well…" I murmured to myself as Nathaniel fidgeted nervously, "That's something you don't see every day."

**…**

**…**

**So, what do you think? Did I get pretty far? Sorry it's so late. I've been sooo busy. And thanks Star for looking this over at the last minute! Hope you guys liked it. Promise more Castiel in next chapter. I just wanted Vera to meet everyone first. **

**Please review. I really, really need your feedback. Love you guys~! Sorry if it says a random 'Raven or Kat' anywhere. I changed the name like fifteen times. Silly me.**

**-Abby**


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